John McCain Stresses His Conservative Bona Fides

Presidential candidate speaks out on government responsibility and the war in Iraq
John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee for president, has been outspoken in his support of the war in Iraq and as a conservative who believes in a smaller, more accountable government. Based on McCain’s publicly stated positions, black enterprise has compiled a cheat sheet on the Arizona senator’s position on the issues, including the economy, immigration, and national security.

Sen. John McCain

JOHN McCAIN

Born: Aug. 29, 1936 in Panama Canal Zone (U.S. territory)

Spouse: Cindy Hensley McCain

Alma mater: United States Military Academy

Profession: Senior U.S. senator from Arizona (since 1987)

Plans for Healthcare:

In a McCain administration, there will be a system of healthcare in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Healthcare should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their healthcare dollars and have more control over care.

With more competition, companies will be able to offer more affordable insurance options for as many Americans as possible, leveraging the innovation and cost-effectiveness of the U.S.’s firms to put an end to existing rigid, unfriendly bureaucracies.

In addition, the McCain team has a number of initiatives that would help cut costs, including: lowering drug prices bybringing greater competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs; providing quality, cheaper care for chronic disease by focusing onearly intervention and new treatment models. McCain also wants to pass medical liability reform that ends lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols and make public more information on treatment options and doctor records more readily accessible.

Plans to strengthen the economy:

To address high gasoline prices, McCain has called on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day. To address rising food prices, he proposes to end ethanol subsidies, tariff barriers and sugar quotas that are helping to drive up food prices and contribute to higher transportation costs.

Addressing the housing crisis:

Under McCain’s housing plan, every homeowner will be given the opportunity to trade a burdensome mortgage for a manageable loan that reflects their home’s market value. People who took out a non-conventional mortgage taken after 2005 and who live in their home, are either delinquent or otherwise demonstrate that they will be unable to continue to meet their mortgage obligations and can meet the terms of a new 30 year fixed-rate mortgage on the existing home would be eligible. If approved, under the program, the government agency would contact the homeowners’ mortgage servicer and the mortgage servicer writes down and retires the existing loan, which is replaced by a